We have been deploying Gigabyte H110N based systems for our users for years as our Corporate Desktop. As we have built 100’s of them we have changed from Samsung 950’s to 960’s, 970’s and currently 980’s as newer models became available.
Our windows install is based on a PE Boot thumb and a scripted deployment kit install from a local server’s share and from time to time we update the WIM to newer base versions Win10 32x (currently 22H2)
Around 8 months ago perfectly working machines would install the cumulative update and then BSOD (KMODE EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED) and rollback.
After getting complaints from some users we quickly found all these NVME machines were doing this. We decided to push out via AD the Samsung NVME Driver which succeeded and all machines except the 980’s now were able to apply the cumulative.
We then examined the Samsung Driver and realized that it doesn’t support the 980 forward and these systems were sill running the Microsoft NVMe driver and continuing to BSOD while updating.
We then Hacked the .INF file adding the device ID of the 980 and had to force install it (broken certificate) in device manager for the driver to install and cumulative to succeed.
Now it gets more interesting…
Every newer Windows 10 32x ISO build of 22H2 since October last year will BSOD during install. I assume that whatever M$ broke in the NVMe Driver stack in the Cumulative is now rolled into the newer Install WIM.
I know there aren’t many new releases of Win10 left (especially 32x) but this really leaves us with 100’s of machines that we can never rebuild (even the 960’s) unless we Install the earlier build, swap the driver and then Patch.
First, am I alone or has anybody else seen this?
Are there any NVMe Drivers or has anyone re-signed the Samsung with the 980/990 Device Id’s that I could slipstream into the WIM during install?
Appreciate the help,
Kind Regards,
Mike Pisano
@mpisano
Hello Mike and welcome to the Win-RAID Forum!
Although I haven’t yet heard about your described NVMe driver problem, it should be easy to solve it.
My advice:
Integrate the “pure generic 32bit Phison NVMe driver v1.5.0.0 WHQL for Win8-10 x86” into the boot.wim and install.wim of the Win10 x86 Image. You can find the download link within the start post of >this< thread.
By the way:
- Only WHQL certified storage driver are accepted by the Win10 Setup’s Device Management. That is why it wouldn’t make any sense to integrate a modded and digitally signed Samsung NVMe driver. It will not be used by the OS during the Setup.
- The latest original Samsung NVMe driver v3.3.0.2003 cannot be used for Samsung’s latest NVMe SSDs from scratch (because the driver is older and the HardwareIDs of the newer 980/990 SSD’s NVMe Controllers are missing), but it definitively supports them and works fine (I have tested it very often with my Samsung 980 Pro and 990 Pro SSDs). The trick: You have to force the installation by using the “Have Disk” option. After the reboot the driver will be shown within the Device Manager as WHQL certified and properly working. Another advantage: Samsung’s tool named Magician works fine with this driver as well.
Good luck!
Dieter (alias Fernando)
Success!!!
I placed the Phison driver files in the Share specified in the Unattened answer file and the install has now passed the first boot on a 980 machine.
I also tried it with a 960 machine which now also passed the first boot and then also recieved the Samsung Driver via GP. (presume this failed on the above 980 and left the Phison alone)
Any performance or compatibility issues with this Phison Driver and have others used it in production?
Dieter (Fernando) - Cant thank you enough for the driver sugestion and the valuable knowledge you offer. I also have around 40 SuperMicro servers running with NVMe drives by following your tutorial on modding the BIOS…
Again, Thank you!!!
Mike Pisano
@mpisano
It is fine, that you succeeded.
According to my own comparison tests (look >here<) the Phison driver may give many NVMe SSDs the best possible performance.
These are the only disadvantages of the Phison NVMe driver:
- Even the bootable system drive is shown in the systray as being safely removable.
- Samsung’s tool Magician will not show all details of the NVMe SSD.
Follow up - the Phison driver has been working out good for existing machines.
I have also now tried the Windows 10 32x media creation tool with the new August 2023 ISO\USB and it is still Blue Screening. Interesting If I inject the Phison driver during the install it does complete and not BSOD with StoreNVMe… Again Phison saves the day!